Treatment of yarns or threads



Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES WESLEY ADDY,JOSEPH BILLING, AND HAROLD HALKYABD, OI SPONDON, NEAR DERBY, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOBS TO CELANESE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A

i CORPORATION .OF DELAWARE TREATMENT or YARNS on mums No Drawing. 7Application filed August 28, 1926, Serial N6. 181,116, and in GreatBritain June 4, 1928.

This invention relates to a process of'sizing and dressing yarns orthreads in general for weaving, warp or circular knitting or othertextile purposes, and is applicable to yarns composed of or containingnatural fibres or cellulose acetate or other artificial filaments orfibres.

Hitherto the sizing of yarns has usually beenperformed on slashingmachines or the 10 like, in which lengths of yarn are unwound and passedcontinuously through a receptacle containing a farinaceous or other.paste and then between pressure and clearing rollers to remove excess ofsize, the yarn being afterwards dried and wound continuousl on to a beamor other convenient carrier. anks of yarn have also been dipped in areceptacle containing size, squeezed to remove excess of size andafterwards allowed to dry.

These methods of sizing and dressing yarns have a number ofdrawbacks-for instance the pressure rollers frequently get out ofcondition for lack'of attention-but despite many attempts have not sofar been superseded.

According tothe present invention, packages of yarn or thread, wound'onbobbins, cops,.pi rns,'tubes, spools or similar carriers are immersed ina solution of a sizing or dressing agent (hereinafter termed a sizingagent) in a volatile solvent until they are thoroughly impregnatedtherewith, the ack- -ages of yarn orthread are then remove and the yarnor thread is dried by evaporation of the solvent and wound continuouslyon to. banking frames, bobbins'or other usual ,or desired carriers forthe sized or dressed yarn or thread. I

The drying is conveniently eifected during the operation of winding theyarn or thread onto the final carrier, but may also be performed whollyor partly while the yarn isstill in its original package and before thewinding operation takes "place. The yarn or thread may even be allowedtodry slowly on the bobbin or other original carrier,- and then be storedand Wound ofi when required.

According to the nature of the sizing or:

dressingagent, and the rate of drying required, various volatilesolvents such for example as water, benzene, toluene or xylene maybeemployed. Mixtures of volatile solvents with othersolvents,cfor'instance solvents that volatilize with difiiculty, such asparaflin oil, can also be used. I

The sizing or dressing agent employed should be capable of forming acoatmg on the yarn or thread that is freefrom brittleness and liabilityto dust bit, and at the same time is free from stickiness. Sizingcompositions of a suitable .character are described and claimed inBritish Patent Specifications Nos. 244,947 and 244,979, andin thecorresponding U. S. specificationsSNos. 728,799

and 728,800, which disclose a number of mixtures of resins or metallicresinates or naphthenates with non-drying oils, fats, waxes or fattyacids, and also solutions of such mixtures in volatile solvents.

Convenlently the inventionma'y becarricd into effect in the followingmanner. Packages of yarn or thread wound onsuitable .car-'.

-riers are placed in a vessel. provided witha closure which can berendered air ti ht.

The vessel is then evacuated and a solution When the impregnation iscomplete, the yarn' so nately as often as may be necessary to ensurecomplete impregnation of the package.

is removed from the vessel and wound olf di-. rectly on to hankingframesor on to bobbins or ther carriers under such conditions that, 1

during the passage of the yarn from the origi nal to the final carrier,the solvent is evapprated, leaving an even layer of the sizing ordressing agent on the yarn. The evaporation of the solvent may beefie'cted at ordinaryii,

room temperature. but if desired or necessary,

the yarn or thread maybe passed over a hot plate or steam pipes in orderto facilitate the 1 evaporation, or may be subje ctedto'theac tion ofcurrents of air or other gas or vapour aided, if desired, by the aplication of heat or reduced pressure for the same purpose.

The evaporated solvent may be recovered by absorption or condensationany ofthe 100.

methods commonly employed. As previously stated, the solvent may bewholly or partly evaporated before the package is unwound. Thus, forinstance, the packages of yarn or thread may be stored for any desiredperiod in chambers through which a current of warm air may be passed orallowed to circulate, and then, after the evaporation of the solvent hasbeen completed, or has proceeded to any de-' sired extent, the packagesof yarn may be removed and wound off on to the final carrier. theevaporation of the solvent being completed when necessary during thewinding operation.

The amount of size or dressing deposited on the yarn or thread may bevaried in accordance-with requirements by varying the concentration ofthe solution used.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letpressure, immersing the packagewhile still under reduced pressure 1n a solution of a suing' agent in avolatile solvent, and, after the 2 Process for sizing yarn, comprisingimpre pac age wound on a carrier with a solution of a swing agent in avolatile solvent, separating the package of impregnated yarn from theexcess sizing solution, unwinding the yarn from its original carrier,drying the yarn by evaporation of the solvent, and winding it on to thepackage to conditions permittin the evaporation of solvent, and afterwars unwinding the yarn from. its original carrier under conditionspermitting evaporation of residual solvent, and winding it on to acarrier for the sized yarn, the unwinding andwinding being effected in acontinuous operation.

4. Process for sizing yarn, comprising impregnating yarn while in theform of a package wound on a earner with a solution of a sizing agent ina volatlle solvent, exposing the package to conditions pefmittingevaporation of solvent, and afterwardsunwindin the yarn from itsoriginal carriers-andwin ing it on to a carrier for the sizedkyarn, the

. unwinding and winding efiected in a continuous operation.

I 5. Process for sizing arn, com rising subject-ing yarn while in t eform 0 a package wound on a carrier to the action of reduced ating yarn.while .in the form of a sizing agent in a volatile solvent, exposing

